This colorful image shows an ancient Egyptian chariot. The chariot was a two-wheeled vehicle pulled by a horse. The wheel was invented thousands of years ago, probably more than once. It’s been called one of the most important inventions of all time. Do you know why?

The Back Story

A wheel actually consists of two concentric wheels, one inside the other. The inner wheel is called the axle, and the outer wheel is called the wheel.

You might think that the wheel was invented for transportation, but the earliest wheels were probably used for other purposes.

Credit: Emran Kassim

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/emrank/3142426851/

License: CC BY-NC 3.0

Modern wheels are also used for purposes other than transportation
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Learn more about the history of the wheel by watching this short video: